Full transcript of conversations between the pilots of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 and air traffic controllers has been leaked online.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on 25 December in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes. Of those 67 people, 38 died in the accident, including both of the pilots and a flight attendant, while 29 people survived with injuries.
The transcript begins at 7:36. While attempting to land in Grozny, the crew reported losing signals from both GPS systems. After a second unsuccessful attempt, the captain stated, “We’re proceeding to Baku.” Shortly afterward, he requested weather information for the Mineralnye Vody airport and decided to head there instead.
At 8:16, the crew reported a hydraulic system failure and said, "The impact of birds in the cockpit... Oh, the blow of a bird and two seats in the cockpit exploded."
At 8:22, the Rostov controller then recommended landing in Makhachkala, stating: “Recommendation: 160 km southeast of you is Makhachkala, technically fit to receive. What is your decision?” The captain asked for the weather in both cities and confirmed the intention to fly to Baku.
At 8:39, the crew informed the Rostov controller that while the engines were operational, the aileron and elevator control systems had failed. A minute later, the pilot requested weather information for Aktau, and by 9:02, the crew was communicating with the tower in Kazakhstan. At 9:23, the Aktau controller cleared the plane for landing. The captain declared a distress signal when deciding to fly to Aktau. The transcript ends at 9:27.
In the transcript, the pilot first mentioned the possibility of a bird strike during discussions with controllers in Grozny. About 35 minutes later, the crew also speculated that a gas cylinder had exploded on board;
"Oxygen is running out in the passenger cabin. It seems that an oxygen cylinder exploded there. Also, there’s the smell of fuel. Some passengers... they’re losing consciousness. Permission to descend to a lower altitude?"
Officials have not yet commented on its authenticity of the transcript.
Full transcript: baza.io/posts/39f8e832
